Search form

Declaration by Coalition For European Continent Undivided by Visa Barriers

Mon, 2010-11-29 11:05

On 25 November 2010, we, the undersigned non-governmental organisations, launched a coalition for a European continent undivided by visa barriers. The coalition will contribute to policy processes leading as quickly as possible towards this goal.

We welcome the liberalisation of visa requirements for five Western Balkan countries, which underlines both the need for and the real possibility of extending this achievment to the rest of Europe.

We recognize the EU’s manifest support for the idea of visa liberalisation between the EU and Eastern Partnership countries and understand both the aspirations of the EU’s neighbours and the legitimate concerns of some member states. Nonetheless, the coalition fears that the slow progress of liberalisation is jeopardizing the broader goals of the European external policy.

We believe that for the security of our continent and for the continued democratic transformation and modernisation in Eastern Europe – a process to which people-to-people contacts are vital -- effective action is needed linking the demands for implementation of reforms with a clear perspective of visa abolition.

We call upon the upcoming Hungarian and Polish Presidencies of the Council of the European Union to remember the transformation of Central Europe and to take concrete steps towards visa-free travel within Europe.